1. Refrigerate coconut milk for at least 2 hours. When chilled, scoop solid coconut cream, separating it from coconut liquid, and place it in a bowl. Whip cream using an electric mixer until soft and fluffy.

2. To prepare caramel, bring sugar, water and salt to a boil and cook over high heat. Boil for 8 to 12 minutes, lightly brushing the edges of the mixture with water to prevent crystals from forming. When a candy thermometer reads 365°F, remove from heat. Slowly whisk in maple syrup, then cream. Cool completely.

3. Place diced pineapple in a large resealable container. Place sugar and water in a saucepan. Split vanilla bean and scrape seeds into the sugar mixture. Add the vanilla bean shell. Bring to a boil. When sugar dissolves, remove from heat. Pour vanilla syrup over diced pineapple. Cover and let cool.

4. Stir dry pancake ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, milk, vanilla and butter. Slowly stir wet ingredients into dry mixture. Small lumps are okay.

5. Oil a non-stick pan and set over medium heat. Ladle ¼ cup of batter for each pancake. Cook until small bubbles form. Flip and continue cooking until golden.

6. Just before serving, slice banana in half lengthwise. Place halves on a rack set on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with sugar. Torch until golden using low heat. Cool.

TIP
Instead of torching bananas, you can broil them. Slice bananas in half lengthwise and set them on a foil-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with sugar. Broil on the top rack of the oven until caramelized and golden.

CLAUDIO APRILE
The inspiration for Claudio Aprile’s bangcakes came on a trip to Thailand in 1998. It was an order of traditional banana-chunked crêpes stretched as thin and wide as a 12-inch LP. These griddle cakes are made in the Canadian style—fat, spongy and sweet—but everything else tastes like the tropics, with pineapple sauce, caramelized bananas, a puff of coconut cream and a sprinkle of peppery Thai basil. It’s all piled in a stack of gooey, girth-expanding goodness.